Quote

I didn't really start writing music or lyrics or turning them into songs until I went to San Francisco.

Most country songs, certainly all the stuff I've written, are stories driven by characters.

As a songwriter, I do kind of look at 'Santa Monica' as a thing outside of itself, because it isn't just my song. This is a song a lot of people tell me is a part of their high school or college years. That means a lot to me.

Writing songs is really about writing. It's not about necessarily focusing on one particular style or making it one particular thing.

I've never set out consciously to write American music. I don't know what that would be unless the obvious Appalachian folk references.

As far as subject matter, I'd say most of the songs aren't that personal to me. I love making up characters and kind of having fun in a different kind of way.

I'm not like other writers. I'm not hung up on using my own songs. In fact, my sister Bunny always tells me I sing other people's songs better than my own. She says I loosen up and give the songs a different feel.

Main thing, really, is I write songs the way I wanna hear them and the way I think the people that come to our shows wanna hear them.

Songs are like movies to me, and so you put yourself in the movie. You become a character in the movie.